Atala
With Phil Aynsley
Unknown Italian manufacturer number 736 – Atala. As with many motorcycle companies Atala (founded by Emerico Steiner) started by producing bicycles, from 1909 in their case. In 1924 they debuted a motorcycle powered by their own 2-stroke horizontal 125 cc motor.
This proved to be a success and lead them to begin making motorcycles powered by 350 cc Blackburn and 175 cc JAP engines. A 500 cc JAP model appeared in 1932. However the company dropped motorcycle production in 1934, returning to bicycles.
The company was sold to Caesar Rizzato & Co in 1938 which continued producing bicycles and reintroduced motorcycle production, still under the Atala name. A range of small 2-stroke models in 49, 98 and 124 cc capacities, usually powered by Minarelli motors, were manufactured.
After 2002 Rizzato holdings passed through several different hands resulting in a new company Atala S.p.A. being formed and based in Monza. In 2011 it became part of the Dutch Accell Group which owns nearly twenty bicycle brands. Atala continues to make bicycles and e-bikes
The bike photographed here below is a circa 1963 Freccia D’oro (Golden Arrow) which uses a 49 cc type P-3 Minarelli 2-stroke motor producing just over 1 hp. This was enough to propel the 56 kg machine to a top speed of 60 km/h. An unusual feature is the use of a twist-grip mounted, cable operated gear change mechanism.
